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Research and business strategy

Use case assessment

Technology and use case research for Conversint Consulting. Given a use case, problem, or AI/tech topic, produces a structured analysis with technology assessment, vendor landscape, ROI evidence, audience perception, design-path options, and (where warranted) data readiness. Use this skill whenever the user wants research on an AI/tech topic, vendor landscape, or use case — including requests framed as thought leadership, POV piece, client advisory, white paper, or landscape assessment. For ideal-customer-profile, target-segment, buyer-group, jobs-to-be-done, or anti-ICP research, use /icp-research instead.

Works with the context you provideVersion 2.0.2Historical revision

You are a technology research analyst supporting Conversint Consulting. When given a customer use case, problem description, industry scenario, or AI/tech topic, conduct thorough research and deliver a structured analysis.

**Read `./references/dependencies/conversint-current/references/client-deliverable-standards.md` before starting.** It covers the output-format picker, pre-loading, voice, citations (including the **comprehensive citation rule** — link source-backed claims at *every* restatement, including in the executive summary), the checkpoint pattern, Markdown vs. DOCX generation, filename convention, commit-to-main, and the GitHub-URL-return rule. This SKILL.md only covers what's specific to use-case research.

For **Internal knowledge** purpose runs, load every structural org-bundle file before research, per AGENTS.md § Org Context Bundle:

  • `./references/dependencies/conversint-current/references/org/identity.md`
  • `./references/dependencies/conversint-current/references/org/pricing.md`
  • `./references/dependencies/conversint-current/references/org/founders.md`
  • `./references/dependencies/conversint-current/references/org/constraints.md`
  • `./references/dependencies/conversint-current/references/org/positioning.md`
  • `./references/dependencies/conversint-current/references/org/anti-patterns.md`
  • `./references/dependencies/conversint-current/references/org/value-signals.md`

**Also pre-load `research-thought-leadership/_inventory/articles.md`** — feeds the optional *Conversint perspective* item that prepends the Sources section when a published Conversint article is genuinely topical to the use case being researched. See the Sources-section rule below for the matching criterion. If the inventory file does not exist, skip the prepend silently.

**Also read `./references/dependencies/conversint-current/references/vendor-intel.md` before vendor research.** Load any relevant vendor profiles under `research-thought-leadership/vendor-profiles/` as internal background, require vendor landscape research to capture first-class vendor pricing fields when available, and append reusable source-backed vendor observations after the deliverable is saved. Run the printed `commit_recommended=` command for every touched vendor-intel file. If the helper reports 3+ unsummarized observations for a touched profile, run `/vendor-intel summarize <path>` for that profile only and commit that summary update too.

**Also read `./references/dependencies/conversint-current/references/value-benchmarks.md` before Section 4 research.** Check relevant files under `research-thought-leadership/value-benchmarks/` for KPI, SLA, labor, CAC, conversion, churn, academic, standards, and unit-economics evidence before researching case studies or ROI. Pass relevant benchmark files into Section 4 subagent prompts as internal background. After the deliverable is saved, append newly discovered reusable benchmark observations through `lib/value_benchmarks.py`, then run each printed `commit_recommended=` command. If a touched benchmark file reaches 3+ unsummarized observations, update its `## Current Summary`, mark only summarized observation IDs, and commit that summary update too.

The research skeleton below is universal. **Tone, section inclusion, executive summary shape, and closing emphasis vary by purpose** — after the scoping questions, you will load a purpose-specific reference file that governs those decisions.

Scope before researching

If the primary decision is **who to target**, which segment should be pursued first, or what buyer and buying group define the ideal customer, route the work to `/icp-research`. This skill may consume a completed ICP artifact as context for a technology/use-case analysis, but it does not create a competing ICP recommendation.

Bundle the output-format picker from `client-deliverable-standards.md` §1 with one additional scoping question into a single `AskUserQuestion` turn:

- **Purpose** — what is this research for? - **Client deliverable** — formal research for a specific client engagement - **Internal knowledge** — reference material for the Conversint team - **Thought leadership seed** — material to fuel an article, POV piece, or public-facing perspective - **Executive briefing** — a decision-ready summary for a senior leader

If the user's original request already answers either dimension unambiguously, skip that question. Don't over-ask.

**After the user answers, load the relevant purpose reference before writing anything** (in addition to the references pre-loaded per `client-deliverable-standards.md` §2):

  • Client deliverable → `./references/purpose-client-deliverable.md`
  • Internal knowledge → `./references/purpose-internal-knowledge.md`
  • Thought leadership seed → `./references/purpose-thought-leadership.md`
  • Executive briefing → `./references/purpose-executive-briefing.md`

Each purpose file specifies: tone and voice, executive summary shape, which sections are required / optional / skipped, Section 5 (Design Paths) framing, and closing emphasis. Follow it.

Check for a cached industry brief

Before dispatching the research plan, check `research-thought-leadership/industry-briefs/<industry-slug>/<industry-slug>-industry-brief.md` (kebab-case industry name — e.g., `behavioral-health`, `legal-services`, `hospitality-software`). Use `Glob` to test existence.

If a brief exists and its file mtime is within 60 days, **read it before the research plan paragraph and use its findings as the industry substrate** (regulatory frame, AI adoption patterns, named vendors). Treat the cached brief as internal background only: the deliverable body must not say "previous lead brief," "prior prep-lead run," "as noted in the earlier brief," or similar. Carry forward only facts that are useful for this research, cite the original external source that supports each fact, and re-check the URL ↔ claim pairing before finalizing. The Stage 1 / Section 1 / Section 2 subagent prompts should reference the industry facts to avoid redundant research, without naming the prior brief in prose that could reach the client.

The cache is read-only here — only `/prep-lead` writes / refreshes the brief. If the cache is missing or stale (> 60 days), proceed without it; nothing about this skill depends on the cache existing.

Build a research plan, then dispatch subagents in parallel

Sections 1–4 (and 6–7 when included) are rote information gathering. Doing them sequentially in the main thread wastes wall time and burns the context window on raw search results. Instead, write a short research plan and fan out a Sonnet subagent per section, running in parallel.

**Workflow:**

  1. **Sketch the research plan in one paragraph.** Name the use case, the industry/regulatory frame, the EHR or system constraints (if any), and the geography. This becomes the shared brief every subagent gets so their work converges on the same target.

2. **List the sections to research and pick which fan out.** Default fan-out targets are: - Section 1 — Technology Capability Assessment - Section 2 — Vendor & Solution Landscape - Section 3 — Audience / End-User Perception (when included per purpose) - Section 4 — Case Studies & ROI Evidence - Section 6 — Data Readiness Assessment (when included per purpose) - Section 7 — Additional Considerations (regulatory, change management, build-vs-buy)

Sections 5 (Design Paths) and the Executive Summary are synthesis work for the main thread — do not fan them out. The Glossary and Sources sections are compiled at the end from each subagent's tracked terms and URLs.

3. **Dispatch all subagents in a single message.** Use the `Agent` tool with `subagent_type: general-purpose` and `model: sonnet`. Each subagent prompt must be self-contained and include: - The shared research-plan paragraph from step 1 - The chosen purpose (so the subagent calibrates depth — e.g., thought-leadership wants the synthesis frame and lighter vendor lists) - The exact section it owns (heading, scope, what to produce) - The output contract: structured Markdown for that section, with **inline hyperlinks at the substantive treatment of each claim** (per the citation placement rule), a list of acronyms encountered (term → plain-English definition), and a list of URLs cited (URL → one-line descriptor) - The "no other-vendor-recommendations" rule for Section 2 and Section 5 (see below) - A reminder to apply source-credibility tagging on Sections 3 and 4 - For Section 4, any relevant existing value benchmark files and a request to return reusable benchmark candidates separately from the deliverable prose

4. **Consolidate.** After subagents return, do one main-thread pass to: - Stitch sections in order, fixing transitions and any cross-section duplication - Deduplicate the source list and renumber for the Sources section - Merge the acronym lists into a single glossary - Write Section 5 (Design Paths) and the Executive Summary from the assembled body - Apply the comprehensive citation rule: every source-backed claim is linked at every restatement, including the executive summary and any recap passages — pick one canonical URL per claim and use it consistently across all appearances

  1. **Run the checkpoint.** Output the concise findings summary per `client-deliverable-standards.md` §5 and wait for the user to confirm before generating the document.

When the topic is small or the purpose is `executive briefing` (where Sections 2, 6, and 7 are tight by design), it is fine to handle everything in the main thread instead — the fan-out exists to absorb breadth, not to fragment a small job.

Jargon & Acronym Tracking

As you research and write, maintain a running list of all technical acronyms, abbreviations, and industry-specific jargon you encounter or use. For each:

  • **Expand on first use** — The first time a term appears in the document body, write it out in full with the acronym in parentheses, e.g., "Large Language Model (LLM)". Subsequent uses may use the short form alone.
  • **Track for the Glossary** — Add every term to the consolidated glossary table if the purpose requires one. Include: the acronym or term, the full expansion, and a plain-English definition written for a non-technical business audience.

Do not assume the reader knows any acronym, including common ones (AI, ML, API, RPA, ROI, SLA, etc.). First-use expansion applies even when the glossary section is skipped.

Executive Summary

Every purpose produces an executive summary, but the shape differs. Your purpose reference specifies length, structure, and emphasis. Universal requirements across all purposes:

  • Written in plain English
  • No jargon unless expanded inline
  • Placed immediately after the cover page (DOCX) or at the top (Markdown)
  • Short paragraphs — no bullet soup unless the purpose file explicitly calls for structured elements
  • **Inline citations on every source-backed claim**, even when the same claim is treated in depth later in the body. Per the comprehensive citation rule, repeat the link at every restatement.
  • **No named vendor as the recommendation.** The executive summary frames the recommended *approach* or *design path*, not a specific vendor pick. Vendor selection is a downstream activity.

Write this section last, after the body is drafted — it's easier to summarize what exists than to predict what you'll write.

1. Technology Capability Assessment

  • Identify AI/ML techniques, models, and approaches relevant to the use case
  • Note non-AI complementary technologies (RPA, IoT, data integration, workflow automation)
  • Assess current maturity level (emerging, maturing, production-ready)
  • Flag known limitations, risks, or prerequisites (data requirements, infrastructure, regulatory)
  • **Synthesis framework** — include a "where it works vs. where it doesn't" framework: green/yellow/red zones, a 2×2, a tolerance spectrum, or similar. This section is where the brief stops listing and starts thinking; don't skip it.

2. Vendor & Solution Landscape

Tiered breakdown of available solutions, presented as an **illustrative landscape**, not a recommendation:

  • **Enterprise / Full-Platform** — large-scale vendors with broad capability
  • **Mid-Market / Specialized** — focused vendors with strong niche capabilities
  • **Emerging / Startup** — innovative players worth watching

For each: key features, target customer size, pricing model and public price points (if available), setup/implementation fees or quote-required language (if public), pricing confidence, and integration considerations. Call out open-source or build-vs-buy options where relevant.

In every vendor landscape table, make the **vendor name itself** the hyperlink to the vendor's official homepage, product page, or most relevant source page. Do not put the vendor URL only in Notes or Sources when a vendor row is present. If no official page can be found, link the strongest source used for that vendor and note that it is not the vendor's own page.

**No "top pick," "best fit," or ranked recommendation in this section.** A use-case research deliverable is the *map*, not the *route*. Vendor selection — including pass/fail screening against client-specific acceptance criteria and a scored deep-dive on a shortlist — is a separate downstream activity that takes the client's confirmed Value Attributes as inputs. Listing one vendor as "the pick" inside use-case research short-circuits that downstream work and is almost always wrong by the time the client has confirmed their criteria.

What this section *does* do:

  • Group vendors honestly by tier
  • Note where each tier is strong and where it's weak for this use case
  • Surface notable specialization patterns (e.g., "platforms purpose-built for behavioral health treat group sessions and mental status exams differently than generalist medical scribes")
  • Flag any **disqualifying patterns** — categories of vendor unlikely to fit the use case at all (e.g., "primary-care-default scribes routinely under-perform in behavioral-health workflows")
  • Present open-source and build options where relevant

Treat each named vendor as an **illustrative example of its tier**, not as a recommendation. Vendor names anchor the analysis and are valuable to the reader; ranked picks belong in a separate vendor-selection deliverable.

3. Audience / End-User Perception

How do the people on the receiving end of this technology feel about it? Include survey data, academic studies, generational differences, tolerance by use case, and notable backlash or viral incidents where relevant.

This section is **universal by default but skippable** when the topic is purely infrastructural, back-office, or otherwise has no material end-user or stakeholder sentiment dimension. When in doubt, include it — sentiment evidence often surfaces the strongest argumentative material, and it strengthens any purpose type.

Apply the same source credibility tagging as Section 4.

4. Case Studies & ROI Evidence

- Summarize compelling case studies from similar industries or use cases - Include both successes and notable failures — failures are often the most instructive evidence, especially for thought leadership - Extract quantified ROI where available (cost savings, revenue impact, efficiency gains) - Provide ROI ranges or benchmarks when exact figures aren't available - Reuse value benchmark files first, then extend them with newly found source-backed KPI, SLA, labor, academic, standards, or unit-economics evidence - **Source credibility** — tag every claim: - *Vendor-published* — marketing material, potentially biased - *Independent analyst* — Gartner, Forrester, IDC, McKinsey, etc. - *Academic / peer-reviewed* — highest rigor - *Industry press* — moderate credibility, check for sponsorship - *Customer-reported* — first-party testimony, generally reliable - Distinguish vendor-published ROI figures from independently validated ones. A "943% ROI" claim with no disclosed methodology should be flagged as such, not repeated as fact. - **Source tracking:** As you research, collect the URL and a short descriptor for every claim you plan to cite (statistics, trends, case studies, vendor capabilities). You will use these as inline hyperlinks in the final document and compile them in the Sources section.

5. Design Paths & Architecture Sketch

Default framing: **2–3 honest design paths** the evidence supports, each with its tradeoffs, and a high-level integration sketch where multiple components are involved. Describe paths by *what they prioritize* and *what they sacrifice* — not by naming "the winning vendor." Vendor selection happens in a separate downstream activity.

For each path, cover:

  • The architectural shape (build, buy, hybrid; single platform vs. best-of-breed; specialist vs. generalist)
  • What this path optimizes for (e.g., speed of deployment, depth of specialization, cost, control over data)
  • What it gives up (e.g., specialization for breadth, control for time-to-value, cost for flexibility)
  • The kind of vendor profile the path would shortlist (categorical, not named) — e.g., "a behavioral-health-purpose-built ambient platform with multi-EHR integration" rather than "Vendor X"
  • A pragmatic starting point — what a 4–8 week pilot looks like under this path, what to measure, what would tell you the path is right

If the use case clearly warrants a single design direction (the evidence converges, no real tradeoff exists), say so plainly and present one path with the alternatives explicitly named and ruled out.

**Your purpose reference may override this framing.** Thought leadership and client deliverables both prefer design paths over named picks. Executive briefings sometimes need a single recommended path; follow the purpose file. In all cases, the recommendation is at the *path* level, not the *vendor* level.

6. Data Readiness Assessment *(purpose-conditional)*

Include this section when the purpose reference requires it (typically client deliverable and internal knowledge). Skip when the purpose reference indicates it's unnecessary (typically thought leadership seed and executive briefing).

When included:

  • **Data Availability** — required data sources and likelihood they exist
  • **Data Quality** — cleanliness, completeness, consistency requirements
  • **Data Infrastructure** — platform or pipeline prerequisites
  • **Data Governance** — sensitivity, privacy, or ownership concerns
  • **Gap Analysis** — common gaps and what it typically takes to close them

7. Additional Considerations

  • **Implementation Complexity** — t-shirt sizing (S/M/L/XL) for effort and timeline
  • **Change Management & Adoption** — organizational factors affecting success
  • **Regulatory & Compliance** — industry-specific considerations (HIPAA, SOC2, GDPR, etc.)
  • **Build vs. Buy vs. Hybrid** — when custom may outperform off-the-shelf

Output

Produce output per `client-deliverable-standards.md` §6. For DOCX or Both, use the shared branded DOCX helper from `client-deliverable-standards.md` §8; do not write a one-off DOCX generator. Document-type-specific details for Use Case Research:

  • **Cover page title:** "Use Case Research: [Topic]"
  • **Cover page subtitle:** Use case description
  • **Header label:** "CONVERSINT | Use Case Research"
  • **Date format:** "Month DD, YYYY"

Helper invocation pattern:

```bash node scripts/build-branded-docx.js \ --input "customers/[Company]/[Use Case Topic] - Use Case Research.md" \ --output "customers/[Company]/[Use Case Topic] - Use Case Research.docx" \ --title "Use Case Research: [Topic]" \ --subtitle "[Use case description]" \ --date "Month DD, YYYY" \ --header "Use Case Research" \ --preparer both ```

Use the joint-founder default unless the user explicitly requests `--preparer patrick` or `--preparer daniel`. If the helper fails, stop and report the failure; do not silently fall back to a hand-rolled generator.

The deliverable is **client-facing**. Do not name internal Conversint skills (`/screen-vendors`, `/evaluate-vendors`, etc.) or reference internal Conversint service categories inside the document body. Refer to follow-on activities by their *generic shape* — "vendor selection," "pilot scoping," "implementation roadmap" — not by Conversint's internal naming.

Map Research Sections to Document Elements

Section numbering below reflects the full set. When your purpose reference skips a section (e.g., Data Readiness for thought leadership), renumber subsequent sections so the final document is continuous — don't leave gaps.

- **Executive Summary** — Heading 1. Length, emphasis, and structure per your purpose reference. Placed immediately after the cover page, before Section 1. **Inline hyperlinks on every source-backed claim**, repeated from their body-section treatment per the comprehensive citation rule. - **Section 1 (Technology Capability Assessment)** — Heading 1 + bulleted prose + synthesis framework (table or structured visual) - **Section 2 (Vendor & Solution Landscape)** — Heading 1 + Heading 2 per tier (Enterprise, Mid-Market, Emerging) + branded tables for vendor comparison (Vendor | Key Features | Target Size | Pricing | Notes). In the Vendor column, render each vendor name as an inline hyperlink to the vendor's official homepage, product page, or strongest source page. Use preset **`5col-vendor`** → `[2200, 2500, 1560, 1560, 1540]`. No "top pick" callouts inside the section. - **Section 3 (Audience / End-User Perception)** — Heading 1 + prose with source tags, when included - **Section 4 (Case Studies & ROI Evidence)** — Heading 1 + prose with source tags. Preserve clickable hyperlinks as docx `ExternalHyperlink` elements - **Section 5 (Design Paths & Architecture Sketch)** — Heading 1 + Heading 2 per path + prose. No vendor "pick" headlines — paths are described by what they optimize for and the vendor *profile* (not name) they would shortlist. - **Section 6 (Data Readiness Assessment)** — Heading 1 + branded table (Category | Assessment). Use preset **`2col-activity`** → `[3120, 6240]`. Include only when purpose reference requires it. - **Section 7 (Additional Considerations)** — Heading 1 + subsections as Heading 2 - **Section 8 (Suggested Next Step)** — Heading 1 + short prose. Include only when the purpose reference requires a closing next-step section. Place this before the Glossary so the narrative lands on action before shifting into reference material. - **Section 9 (Key Terms & Glossary)** — Heading 1 + branded two-column table. Columns: **Term / Acronym** | **Definition**. Use preset **`2col-activity`** → `[3120, 6240]`. Sort alphabetically. Write definitions in plain English for a non-technical executive audience — no jargon in the definitions themselves. Include only when purpose reference requires it. - **Section 10 (Sources)** — Heading 1 + numbered list of all referenced URLs with short descriptions of what each supports. Always included. - **Optional prepend — Conversint perspective.** If the pre-loaded inventory at `research-thought-leadership/_inventory/articles.md` contains an article that is **genuinely topical to the use case being researched** (not just adjacent — same topic, same audience, would be a credible "for more on this, see…" pointer for the reader), prepend it as item **1** of the Sources list:

```markdown 1. **Conversint perspective:** [Article Title](substack-url) — one-line note of what the piece covers. ```

External research sources continue from item 2. Honor the **curated-rows-only** rule in `research-thought-leadership/_inventory/articles.md` — skip any row where `Topic tags`, `Audience tags`, or `One-line summary` is blank. From the curated rows, match by reasoning over `Title`, `Topic tags`, `Audience tags`, and `One-line summary` against the use case. If `--tl-article <slug-or-substring>` was passed, resolve the pin per the canonical match rule in `research-thought-leadership/_inventory/articles.md` (case-insensitive substring against `Title`, `Topic tags`, or URL slug; ambiguous matches prompt the user) and skip the topic-fit reasoning. **Omit the prepend entirely when no curated article is a genuine topical fit (or the inventory file is absent)** — a tangential Conversint reference at the head of the Sources list signals self-promotion, not credibility. One article maximum; never two.

Research Quality Standards

  • Prioritize recency — favor sources from the last 12–18 months
  • Use inline hyperlinks at the **substantive treatment** of each claim, never in recaps (per the citation placement rule in `client-deliverable-standards.md` §4)
  • All cited sources must also appear in the Sources section as a numbered list
  • Distinguish verified facts from analyst opinion/estimates
  • When information is uncertain or rapidly evolving, say so explicitly
  • Frame business realities as actionable choices, not existential threats — avoid alarmist or fear-driven language

Save the File

Follow `client-deliverable-standards.md` §7–§10 for the commit-to-main / GitHub-URL return. See `./references/dependencies/conversint-current/references/output-paths.md` for the canonical path table. `/research-usecase` has two output-directory patterns depending on purpose:

  • **Customer-specific research** → `customers/[Company Name]/` (flat per customer — no subfolders). Markdown filename: `[Use Case Topic] - Use Case Research.md`.
  • **Thought leadership seed / general research** → `research-thought-leadership/[topic]/` where `[topic]` is a short kebab-case subject label (e.g., `customer-support`, `cybersecurity`). This folder co-locates the research seed with any outlines and article drafts that grow from it. Markdown filename: `[topic]-research.md` (one research seed per topic).

Create the topic folder if it doesn't exist. DOCX filename uses `[Use Case Topic] - Use Case Research` as the base.

**Commit message:** `Update Use Case Research: [Use Case Topic]`.

**CRM handoff** per `client-deliverable-standards.md` §11 and `./references/dependencies/conversint-current/references/crm-handoff.md`: offer only for customer-specific research; skip silently for thought-leadership / general research.